Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-26
One More.


ing pass without comment, in view OF
the fact that he admits that counter
yailing duties at least equal to the inter
nal tax ought to be levied by the Gov
eminent That would be levying pro-
tcctive duties for good reason, or, to
state it differently, would justify pro-
lection. In other words, q Government
may protect domestic industries if it
also taxes them. But We forbear COM
ment in order TO put an end to the
controversy.
Suppose twenty OF our rich men worth ton
millions OF dollars were 10 ccme 10 that con-
clusion and decide 90 take ten millions OF dol
lars from Richmond and expend II in England!
Suppose we send oil Virginia retail merchants
to New York for goods? What would become
Of this city7-DiPdtch.
Now, Mr.. Editor, if "suppose is
TO take'the place of argument then ar
gument, usually esteemed the highest
expression of intellect, may be used by
everybody. So let me " suppose "
little.
Suppose that Lorillard of Jersey
City, Bagley of Detroit, the Durham
Bull from North Carolina, and others
were, like Kinney, to remove their
plants TO Richmond. Wouldn't Rich
mond boom? and wouldn't the gentle
men who have been paying such very
generous prices for unimproved pro
perry in our western environs be able
in time TO get out whole? Why GER
tainly. Suppose the tobacco trade of
Louisville were diverted to Rich
mond, would there be any end to
the demand for warehouses and
warehouse sites? Wouldn't houses and
sites for houses and everything else,
and even cats, be as good as
"Sloss blocks" No doubt of
it. And suppose the Astors, with
their two hundred millions the Van
derbilts, with their hundred and fifty
millions Jay Gould, with his hundred
millions, and all the rising and risen
magnates of the Terminal Company
were to sell out in New York and come
down and settle in Richmond. My
how things would hop, and what Solo
mons these gentlemen would be who
have bought up nearly all of Hen
rico to the west of Richmond
Suppose, Mr.. Editor, your paper had a
circulation of 100000, wouldn't you
have to call somebody-yes, dozen
somebodies-to hold you down? OF
course you would And suppose Rich
mond had 10000 more people. Why,
then we would have very near the num-
Der our ingenious president of the
Board of Health assigns to us.
Or "suppose, finally, (oh, how
easy and delightful it is to argue
when it can be done by supposing) sup
pose fifty handsome men from Boston
and Providence worth two hundred
millions of dollars were to come down
and marry fifty of our pretty girls and
settle here, what would follow? Ina
gination stands baffled and aghast, and
can only gasp, Follow Follow a? Why,
probably fifty little babies.
Mr. Editor, never attempt to argue
by L" supposing," for if you do you will
surely be kicked to death by mule,
or-by an ass, | seem to hear is sug
| pcsted, as IN tins case.
Now, all these things are possible OF
occurrence the only thing that is i'm
possible being Virginia treating he
creditors fairly, and that, mind you,
did not suppose, quite as possible as
any OF your supposiuons.
Let us come now to argument 1t i
not right or profitable for a city any
more than il is for an individual to de
part from well-established business
rules-which are TO buy where you car
get the most for your money. An in
divi6ual may rightfully depart from
this rule because he is dealing with hi
own money, but city cannot rightfull,
do so because the city government i
trustee for all the people and it shoulC
act as q trustee, and we all know that
trustee is held to a much stricter &c
countabiity than one who is not
trustee. A trustee cannot, except at hi
peril, know what generosity and libe
rality are, and neither rightfully can
city.
ii the City Council has a right +
give 10 per cent. more to home people
it has an equal right to give 100 pc
cent. more, yes 1000, per cent. KApre
Ten per cent more is only matSr o
opinion, and 100 per cent is a matte
OF opinion, and 50 1000 per cent. /
only a matter Of opinion. And il
City Council can rightfully grant Gel
tain citizens bonus of 10 per cent.
can as rightfully sanction any job
however Outrageous. When you 81,
home workmen ought to have a bonu
of 10 per cent. or more, it would b
very we'll If your were paying tia
bonus yourself; but when you ar
having that bonus out of my pocket
against my consent, then you ar
simply robhing me. If the city govern
ment calesightfully favor Individuals
the matter of contracts, why can't
favor the state at the expense of tn
Disp0tch, or Uice UerSaP Or, VIII
can't it favor azy dry-goods merchar
at the expense of ali the others? An
> Why can't it step in and save Cardozo
/ Co. from failing? If not, why not
D | l}v saving such house it does the cit
good; for the house paid taxes, ga
bills, waterfalls, rented large stor
and employed large corps of highl,
4 paid men-it did the city good. If ii
/. city is going to depart from its natur
q sphere and functions, let it save ever,
! body from failing. The only protectic
sor integrity is to be honest in sma
T. things, and the only safety for a city
e to observe strict business principles
I Regarding tobacco and whiskey-
q when government imposes excl
duties on these articles it must as
matter OF course impose customs duti,
on them at least equal to the intern
tax, ana this would only be equivalel
0 to making them free goods-that is
o say, goods like coffee and tea and hide
. which pay no duty. And that il it
intended 10 raise revenue from the
> the total duty must be the internal Ia
;. which is really no duty at all plus ii
IS rate OF duty for revenue. Thus il IL
a internal tax be equal to 100 per cen
! and the revenue duty 30 per cent, the
the total impost on the foreign artic
. must be 100 per cent
). In your editorial of the 23d you
IT not quote me correctly. My whole O
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